Edward's Ending
by Izumi Anne
Summary: What happened to Edward after Episode 51? Let's see.
1. Default Chapter

_**Edward's Ending**_

So there he was, sitting on the train headed to Transylvania. This world on the other side of the gate was quite different from the one he was used to, but Edward Elric knew he would have to get by without Alchemy—as in this world, Alchemy didn't exist in the same ways that it had in his own world. Under any circumstances he would find a way to access the gate another time, and finally return to that world and be once more reunited with his brother Alphonse. Without any proof, Edward could only hope that his father's idea—that his 'sacrifice' to return Al to his body and the other world, was simply the memories of the 4 years they spent searching for it—as if Alphonse would have never lost it in the first place.

He stared down at his automail arm, which was the source of his ideas and plans to return to the gate through the means that could be used in this world. Since Alchemy was lost, the next thing that Edward realized he knew enough about to really do anything with it was mechanics. Perhaps, he had decided, that if he investigated rocketry alongside Hermann Oberth, who was researching the same thing as Robert Goddard, the American, he could travel into space and find the gate there. Space travel and rocketry. He had a gut feeling that the location of the gate on this plane of existence was in space—and he would do anything to get to it. He would travel anywhere and do anything in his power.

Now Edward found himself staring out the window, hoping that the conditions in Transylvania weren't as bad as that in Munich where he had departed from. It was the year 1921, and Edward Elric had been born and raised in Munich Germany. Although the Treaty of Versailles had been signed and put into order two years earlier in 1919, it had done hardly much more than uproot the government and throw everything into chaos. He knew that Transylvania was now part of Romania, right on the border—he wanted there to be peace there, so that it would be easier to find the information he needed and continue to find the gate.

When he finally arrived in Transylvania, he exited the train and looked around. He heard the language, noting that most of it was Hungarian, though not a surprise—Transylvania was a part of Romania, and had been taken over by the Hungarians. He walked out of the station, pulling a slip of paper from his pocket and unfolding it, looking down at the address. It was still written in German, so he walked along, the translated street name in his head. He found it, and then the house. Walking up the stairs, he knocked, waiting. He must've stood there in the cold for 5 minutes before sighing and turning around to find a phone to call his father about the wrong address—only to come face to face with a very flustered Hermann Oberth.

"Wah!" Edward jumped back, slamming into the door, then falling flat on his face. Oberth leaned over him, blinking. "Um.. Are you alright, sir?"

Ed got up, brushing himself off. "Yes, I'm alright."

Oberth blinked at him a few times. "….Hohenheim?"

"Oh! No." Edward shook his head. "I'm Edward, his son." He blinked. "Wait, how did you know him?"

Oberth slipped past him, unlocking the door. "come in." he closed the door behind, taking off his jacket and starting a little fire. "I don't exactly know him, I've just heard about him. I was a doctor in Munich during the war. I actually only just arrived back today. I'm going to be doing some research on—"

"Rocketry." Edward pulled his coat off as well. "I've heard. I was hoping to join you in doing so."

Oberth smiled. "Really? Sure."

The months passed, feeling like years to Edward. It happened one day while he was in the market—he accidentally ran into a girl, both falling over. Ed quickly jumped up, helping her gather her things. "I'm sorry! I didn't see you—"

She laughed. "It's alright." She took her things, smiling at him. "I'm Annalise Nyx." She introduced herself.

"Oh… Edward Elric." He smiled.

It wasn't long before Annalise was over with Hermann and Edward daily, helping out. While they studied, she cooked and cleaned, making sure they didn't starve and got enough to drink—not to mention made sure they slept.

Edward hadn't seen it coming, and never would have expected it. But two months after Annalise had come and began to help them, he was sitting up late one night—Herman had already gone to bed—and she walked into the room, giving him something warm to drink.

"How's the research coming…?"

"Better. We're getting closer and closer—we actually have the funds, and we're building a working model as well. It's been decided that I'll be the one to test it."

"I'm happy for you."

Edward didn't notice that she had placed her hand on his.

"Thanks… My goal is nearly here… It's the sweetest taste."

Annalise smiled. "I really am glad… I have to get home now, but I'll see you tomorrow, Edward Elric."

It was what happened next that sent Ed into the realization of what was going on in other places than his mind. Annalise had kissed his cheek and whispered so low, "I love you Edward." And with that had left the house, with him staring in shock into the fire.

In the next week, he felt her eyes burning into him as he studied, and heard every word she uttered in his presence. He was unsure of how to break the news to her that he had something to do, and couldn't give her what she wanted.

Before he had gotten the words to his mouth, the launch was upon them. He wrote her a letter, slipping it into her bag, before climbing aboard.

How he got through, he wasn't sure. Halfway there he had passed out. The next thing he realized that he was laying in a bed, Winry looking down at him with teary eyes. When he smiled, she hugged him, sobbing. He hugged her, seeing a teary ten-year-old Alphonse behind her. He waved. This was how it was supposed to be.


	2. Edward and Annalise

It had been about a month since Edward had returned to his present time from 1921 Germany. He had no memories of any of it, and couldn't explain where he had been. None of his friends cared, they were only happy that he was back with them, and healthy. After much teasing from Alphonse, Ed and Winry had admitted their reasons for constant fighting—a secret crush. The peace of admitting it hadn't lasted long, and they were right back to fighting one another.

Alphonse sighed, hearing the two yelling in the next room, fighting over milk of all things. "Why can't they ever grow up?" he crossed his arms.

Pinako laughed, shaking her head. "Fighting is how they express themselves. Everyone has their own way, it can't be changed."

Al shook his head. "Wish theirs was something more calm." Pinako just laughed again.

Later that week, they received a visit from Roy and Riza, both off work and on a date—the two had also finally admitted their feelings for one another. Roy's eye was healing nicely, but Riza still constantly checked on it to make sure he wasn't in any pain. They brought news that Mrs. Hughes and Elysia were both doing well, and that the rest of the soldiers were getting along fine. Roy was coming closer and closer to his goal of becoming head of the military, with Riza's help.

All in all, things seemed to be the picture of perfection—everything as it should be, everyone happy, and things finally going right.

But in 1921, things weren't the same story. Annalise wasn't satisfied with Edward's letter and explanation. She had fits of emotion that she couldn't seem to control. Sometimes just thinking of him would anger her so badly that she would break many objects before falling asleep in tears. Other times she became so numb that she could do nothing but sit and stare up at the sky for hours on end, wishing she knew why she hadn't been important to the one she had given her heart to.

In search for answers she had gone to his father, Hohenheim in Munich. The answers he had given her were the same he had given her in the letter, and gave her no peace. She wanted desperately to find him and force him to explain why she was so unimportant that he could simply leave her like that with less than a moment's thought. She knew that wherever he was, he was obviously happy, while her world had crashed around her.

This was an injustice, and she planned to fix it. As Edward himself had done, she began to look over the files that they had gone through on rocketry. That was how he had gone, and although the research was abandoned there, she knew that it had worked—or else her love would have returned to her and apologized. She knew the process may very well take her many months to understand, many more than it had Edward and Hermann Oberth.

Two separate worlds, and two completely different scenes. One where the entire scene was finally looking bright, and another where the situation was dark and desperate. The two worlds sometimes collide, sometimes clash and mix. The gate to get to either on a separate plane from both, and the entrance only known to the few. Both worlds had their own share of oddities and changes from this gate being opened and constantly tampered with.

Can either world survive if the gate is somehow opened again by one who doesn't understand the consequences, even if it is for love?


End file.
